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Iron Pill

Iron Pill

The reasons for not pumping iron in the martial arts community are as wide and varied as the trashy romance novels found in Kroger. My all time favorite is: “I don’t lift because it impedes the chi.” “Oh, really? And that’s why you can’t pick up a bag of cat litter, much less grapple for ten seconds?” I’ve also heard this one: “I get my strength from practicing kata.” “Hum, considering the size of your gut, I’d say not.” Then there’s: “Strength training isn’t part of traditional martial arts.” “No kidding. Try telling Mike Tyson that. Boxing is about as traditional as it gets. And while we’re on the subject, can you tell me why Shoshin Nagamine advocated exercising with “bar bells, dumbbells, chishi (an ancient form of dumbbell), sashi (iron hand-grip), etc., to develop muscles and physical power.” Nagamine p.29. Then every so often someone says in a humble tone, “I’m trying to up my deadlift from 350 to 400.” And you immediately shake their hand and shout: “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” over and over again.
Strength training has gone hand in hand with the fighting arts for thousands of years. Chinese and Okinawan martial artists have utilized it for centuries and in ancient Greece weight training was popular in all forms of athletics; wrestling, boxing and pankration included. More recently strength training was incorporated into Judo by the Kodokan during the early 1960’s while currently some of the best known proponents of strength training are MMA fighters.
There are many forms of strength training, some better than others depending upon your goals. Take for instance body-building which uses lighter weights and higher repetitions to tone and define the body’s muscles. Body building was made famous by greats like Dave Draper, Bill Pearl, Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger during the mid to late 60’s and continues to be one of the more popular forms of strength training today.
Exciting to watch, technical and very demanding, Olympic weight lifting involves the snatch, clean and jerk. And while Olympic lifters may not possess the same muscle definition as bodybuilders, their overall strength and explosive power is usually greater because Olympic lifts employ several large muscle groups (thighs, back, shoulders, etc.) simultaneously to move the weight from the floor, to an overhead position in a split second’s time. In fact during the 1972 Munich Olympics, studies performed concluded that some of the fastest moving athletes were Olympic lifters.
Last but not least is power lifting, which uses the squat, deadlift and bench-press. Power lifting requires the athlete to raise a massive amount of weight using strict movement. The sport emphasizes push-pull actions, heavy weights and single repetitions. Hence the reason power lifters usually have the highest degree of functional strength in athletics today.
Prior to the 20th century strength training differed to that found in modern health clubs. For instance, where as today one goes into an air conditioned gym and performs chest exercises on the nautilus machine the Greek pankratiast lifted a large stone off the ground, worked it up to shoulder level and threw it as far as possible. This developed not only raw strength, but also anaerobic endurance and explosive power, all through the use of one exercise.
Unlike the bodybuilder, power, or Olympic lifter, fighters must develop both strength and stamina in conjunction with martial prowess. And since fighting requires use of the entire muscular system to strike, push, pull, or grapple then the best lifts are those that work the entire body simultaneously while enhancing combative skill.
There are literally thousands of combative techniques to draw upon, but the foundation of most rest upon three principle actions. They are: extending, withdrawing and grabbing. You extend a limb to strike, push or throw. You withdraw a limb to pull and grapple and grabbing is used in all phases of combat.
These three actions are performed simultaneously with power being generated and enhanced by the abdominals, lower back, glutes, hips, thighs and spine. For instance when punching the arm extends rapidly, but the strike’s power originates in the feet then travels upwards to the hips and abdominals which act as superconductors before transferring it to the arm. This process occurs in a split second’s time and is repeated constantly during combat. Moreover it requires a high state of anaerobic conditioning to perform over extended periods.
Where fighting is concerned the deadlift, clean-overhead-press, one- armed snatch and military press are some of the most beneficial. These lifts work the major muscles simultaneously, increase anaerobic endurance, develop explosive power and enhance the extending, withdrawing and grabbing actions. They also provide an intense workout in a relatively short period and can be performed using dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, sandbags, or even heavy rocks.
The following is a brief description of each lift and its benefits.
Deadlift: An overall power exercise that works the upper and lower back, trapezious muscles, buttocks, legs, shoulders and hands. It develops maximum pulling and pushing strength, anaerobic endurance and raw body power. All of these are essential for grappling and striking. The optimum goal is to deadlift your own body weight, if not more.
Clean and press: An overall power exercise that works the legs, shoulders, chest, upper and lower back, arms, buttocks and hands. It develops maximum pulling and pushing strength, works every major muscle group plus increases explosive power and anaerobic endurance. Your optimum goal being to clean and press half, if not three quarters of your own body weight. When performed with light weights and high repetitions this exercise is excellent for cardiovascular development. [i]
One arm snatch: An explosive, power based exercise that works the legs, shoulders, back, arms and hands, plus the abdominals. It develops the pulling action, grip and explosive power. The optimum goal being to snatch half your body weight, or in layman’s terms grab a weight with one hand and swing it from the floor to an over head position in a second’s time.
Military Press: A great exercise for upper-body development that works the shoulders, arms, back and chest. The military press is also excellent for developing punching power since it isolates the pushing motion. Optimum performance is to press half your body weight (if not more) into the over head position. The military press can be performed either seated or standing, though when done standing more of the body’s muscles are worked.
Unlike professional sports which have off seasons most fighting arts practitioners train weekly and throughout much of the year. This requires rest periods to be included in one’s training program. More importantly though, is that the fighter is developing combative skills while conducting strength training, that's why a training program should devote equal time to both strength and skill.
Many people assume strength training requires several hours each day to obtain proper results. And while this might true for body builders, Olympic and power lifters, where fighting is concerned the desired effects can be gained from 30-45 minutes of training, three times a week. Below is a simplified routine for the fighting arts practitioner that develops over-all strength, speed and endurance and can be completed in 40 minutes, or less.
Week One:
Monday- Deadlifts and Military Presses. Five sets with one repetition of each exercise using 80-90% of your heaviest- one repetition max.
Wednesday- Clean overhead press. Four sets of light weights, 6-10 repetitions.
Saturday- One Arm Snatch and Military Presses. Four sets each exercise, adding 3-5 pounds on each lift. For instance if you’re beginning the Snatch with a 10lb dumbbell, then the next set with be with a 15lb dumbbell, followed by a 20lb, then finally a 25lb.
Week Two:
Tuesday- Clean overhead press and military presses. Five sets with five repetitions using 70-75% of your one rep max.
Thursday- Deadlift. 1x5’s. Single repetitions of 90-100% of your maximum one rep weight.
Sunday- One Arm Snatch and Military Presses. Four set of light weights. 6-10 repetitions each exercise adding 3-5 lbs each set.
Week Three:
Wednesday- Deadlift and Military Presses. Five sets with five repetitions using 70-80% of your one rep max.
Friday- Clean Overhead Press and Military Press. Four sets of light weights. 6-10 repetitions each exercise adding 3-5 lbs each set
Sunday- Deadlift and Military Presses. Five sets with one repetition each exercise using 80-90% of your one rep max. (1x5)
Week Four: Rest
As you progress, the time it takes to complete the workout shortens, so additional exercises to include are squats, pull-ups and dips. This means where previously each workout consisted of two exercises, now it will consist of three. Or if you desire, squats, pull-ups and dips can be combined for an entire workout.
Aging causes muscle and bone mass to deteriorate which results in the loss of athletic performance and combative skill, especially during one’s 40’s and 50’s. This is why strength training plays such a vital role. It builds bones and preserves muscle, plus activates nerves that increase reflexes. Strength training not only helps you become a better fighter, but reduces the effects of aging. That's why legendary figures like Shoshin Nagamine and Donn Draeger where practicing martial arts well into their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. So go on, take the iron pill. You’ll be able to train longer, plus you’ll probably live longer and besides you’ve got nothing to loose, but some unwanted pounds.
[i] Much the same as it is with developing good technique, proper form is essential when executing the deadlift, clean and press. There should be no curvature in the spine, feet are shoulder-with; always begin with your shoulders over the bar, push with the legs first and initially start your training with light weights and increase poundage as you grow stronger. Remember, its not how much you lift, but how you lift it that matters most.

"It interests me reading about how others train. Some like the power lifts. Some light weights / high reps. Some Olympic lifts. Some kettlebells etc etc
Some stick on the same program for years and some grasshopper from one to the next, changing what they do every time a new program appears in their favourite magazine ...
So I though it would be interesting to compare our BIG ONE.
What single exercise do YOU feel has given you the most benefit from the time invested?
For me that answer is very simple.
The Clean & Jerk
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/CleanAndJerk.html
The Fire Station where I worked in my early 20's had a scruffy downstairs gym right in the basement next to the boiler room. It was always about 30 degrees in there and with tiny windows it stank of sweat. There was an old barbell and an assortment of plates and my goal was simple, to clean and jerk my bodyweight.
I started off with power cleans and heave presses but as the weight increased I had to learn the proper squat clean and split jerk. As it was a busy station and I never knew how long we'd have between 'shouts', I got in there and cracked on, often not even bothering to change. In - Lift - Eat. Sometimes a few times a shift, sometimes just once a week depending on the time available.
My rep scheme was dead simple. Easy 5 reps, add weight. 4 reps, add weight. Then 3 reps at my top weight, which I recorded on a marker board in chinagraph pencil. Then 3 reps at a lower weight and a final 3 reps back at my starting weight. At all times my thought was "get the bar moving" rather than 'time under tension' or any such notion. As it was a concrete floor and metal plates I had to control the bar on the way down, none of this lift and drop stuff we see today. Rest between sets depended entirely on how I felt at the time.
Every few weeks I'd try for a maximum and my best ever was 210lbs (95 kgs) at a bodyweight of 84kgs. A weightlifter would toy with that but at the time I was training karate most nights, running every day and training in a bodybuilding gym as well. Had I just done karate twice a week, the C & J's and chucked in a few 400's, I'm sure I'd have been in far better shape with less injuries and less chronic fatigue!
In later years health and safety took over at work and the old rusty bar was replaced by a multigym, but I often look back and wish I'd carried it on. I credit that one exercise - and the determination it required - with more benefit than any other exercise I've ever done (and I've tried 100's)
I love my KB's but writing this I'm seriously thinking of buying myself an old rusty barbell ..."
Hope that adds to what I'm sure will be an intersting thread.

Thanks for the kind words. My all time favorite is the clean and press. I'm an old style lifter who believes its how much you can lift from the floor and press overhead that counts. Plus it takes less time to complete a good workout!

Strength training certainly made a huge difference to my capabilities. I wrote this a few years ago about my preparation for a tournament:

Physical strength

"At the last year’s Tournament I had been blown away. Vince had overpowered me - mentally and physically. If I wanted to win, which I did desperately, I now had to power up and get more intense. Most of my training thus far had been more about stamina. I spent hours at the dojo, but to build real strength you have to train against resistance, which then forces your muscles to recruit more fibres. Clearly, I wasn’t doing that enough in the dojo. I did hundreds of press-ups, sit-ups and squats, but that had only taken my strength so far and was now only training my local muscular endurance. Maximum strength is often affected by genetics and as I was tall and long limbed that didn’t help. Specific training was needed.

I knew little then about how the body works, so the sensible thing to do was seek expert advice. Edwin Brown, or ‘Max’ as he was known, was a Leicester dojo brown belt at the time and the strongest man I knew. He had seen me lose to Vince, and was keen to help. He suggested I train with him at ‘Sugars Gym’, a local bodybuilding emporium run by a Mr Great Britain finalist and local strongman by the name of Dennis Christopher. I turned up feeling like a man and left feeling like a little boy. Up until then I had only used light bars for circuit training and of course carried kit regularly at work without too much trouble. In resistance training terms though, I was disappointingly weak.

We started on the bench press. Max put about 80 kilograms on the bar and pumped out 25 repetitions as a warm-up. I got under the bar and couldn’t lift it. He took 10 off. No; still too heavy. Down to 60, and I now managed about 5 reps. My arms were shaking but the bar just wouldn’t move. He looked at me and gently shook his head. I don’t know what he thought, but as he benched about 150 easily, training with me meant an awful lot of changing plates. I was quite strong with my legs, perhaps surprisingly so as they were very long and thin, but my upper body work was disappointing. To Max’s credit he never moaned, and sorted out a program to help me get stronger. We trained together regularly and in the build up to the Tournament he pushed my strength levels right up. I owe him a lot. I’m not saying this made me win, but the extra confidence gained by getting stronger all added into the mix.

Not knowing anything about rest and recovery, I just carried on my running and dojo training as normal. I had always eaten a lot - my nickname years earlier had been ‘dustbin’, but suddenly there wasn’t enough food in the world to fill me up. I started to fill out nicely but often felt absolutely exhausted. At about this time, I also saw a spectacular demonstration of real power that later changed my way of training still further. The downstairs gym at the Fire Station had some free weights and an old leather punchbag. I was bored one night and wandered downstairs to find ‘Ginger’ Allen working out. He was from another station and was heavily into weightlifting, as distinct from bodybuilding although as yet I didn’t know the difference. He looked quite ponderous as he single-arm deadlifted an enormous bar with so much weight on it, it literally bent in the middle. He had a strange build, with huge legs, a thick waist and sloping shoulders, and looked positively old-school and unathletic compared to the fine specimens at Sugars Gym.

I started whacking the bag about, which was heavy and solid. As I kicked and punched it swung high with the force of the kicks and almost reaching the ceiling. Ginger watched impassively as he rested about five minutes between his sets. I was happy to put on a bit of a show. After about twenty minutes I felt hungry again and decided to finish up. Ginger got up, wandered across to the bag, drew his right fist back quite slowly and then CRACK. He had split his feet fore and aft in a blur and driven a punch deep into the bag. It didn’t move; it folded double and split down the main seam so sawdust now trickled out. He just smiled, picked up his towel and walked out.

I mentioned what happened upstairs and was told the local legend about Ginger’s daughter. Apparently she had been having trouble with a violent boyfriend. Ginger had cornered him one night and smashed his car roof into a V shape with his bare hands. Seeing that punch it was very easy to believe it. I’ve met many strong people in karate, but I’ve met few who could punch that hard. I was amazed at the sheer power he had displayed without any formal combat training. I was now fully committed to adding strength and power training to my weekly routine. I went to Sugars with Max regularly, and as Ginger recommended I perfect the Clean and Jerk to build my explosive power, I practised it night after night at work in the grimy downstairs gym with only the mortally wounded punchbag to inspire me.

I knew if I could get anywhere near as strong as Max or even half as explosive as Ginger, when added to my stamina and technical skills I would have all the right ingredients. My doorwork had also added a new ferocity to my fighting. In the dojo, if I caught people I obviously never finished them off, but apologised and backed off to let them recover. It had been hard until now to change that thinking in a Tournament. The ability to ‘finish the job’ had been essential on the door and I was now far more ruthless. I was confident I would not hold back again. The desire to prove people wrong also gave me a real focus. I had increasing self-belief. I just needed to bind all these attributes together to make myself a complete knockdown fighter."

I echo Mike. My advice to anyone involved in martial arts - whether for Budo, Jutsu or Sport - is get some lifting done. It's never too late to start and the benefits are well worth the time invested.